AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 7 – Panorama CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 240 of 332 Act 1 started with a gentle amble. Care was taken to keep the basics right. Knees and elbows remained straight. However, arms with loosely clenched fists fell short of the horizontal by about thirty degrees and the bitumen on the ground was not assaulted by seriously digging horseshoed boots. For want of any indication from the DivO who looked on benignly, the SCC kept the Squadron marching, on and on, round and round, each round, almost a kilometre long. Every time the Squad passed the DivO the SCC looked expectantly for orders to stop. However, he only saw the DivO’s pleasant face that reflected admiration for our performance. What an easy job this was turning out to be! However, after about ten rounds there was an uneasy feeling. Was something wrong? The Squadron was soon ordered to halt. The DivO moved closer and ‘requested’ the SCC to position us on his three sides (Hollow Square). A hollow square was unconventional and casual (jazz), not normally adopted on the Parade Ground. Then he started a gentle debrief in his soft voice. His courtesy and gentility were beginning to hurt. First he congratulated everyone for a wonderful show. Ha!! The charade had worked. Then his gentle suggestions began. It started with advice on the complex art of simply standing straight. Your head must remain straight. Not tilted to any side. Not bent down. Not tilted up. The chin should …. The neck should ….. the shoulder should….. the chest should ….. the stomach ….. the hands …… the fist ….. the wrist ….. the hips ….. the thighs ….. the knees ….. the AD (heel) ….. the foot ….. the …… And SCC, as for you ….. the right marker ….. the front three while marching ….. the front line while the Squad marched in the ‘reviewing order’ ….. you, in the middle row, you, the lambu (tall one) in the last row ……